


A new tradition

by hi_im_eff



Category: Downton Abbey
Genre: Christmas, Fluff, M/M, tiny bit of angst but it's just to lead you to the fluff, xmas
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-01
Updated: 2020-12-01
Packaged: 2021-03-10 05:14:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,353
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27818833
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hi_im_eff/pseuds/hi_im_eff
Summary: Christmas was never a jolly holiday when Thomas was growing up. Jimmy decides to create a new tradition.
Relationships: Thomas Barrow/Jimmy Kent
Comments: 12
Kudos: 34
Collections: A Very Thomas Barrow Christmas 2020





	A new tradition

**Author's Note:**

> For A Very Thomas Barrow Christmas 2020:
> 
> 1\. Merry Christmas - “Merry Christmas!” “It’s the first of December.” “I said ‘Merry Christmas’!”
> 
> This amazing writing prompts challenge was created by the lovely irrationalgame on the Thomas Barrow discord. I'm not going to stress myself by writing every single one of them, but I'll try to manage a few at least. This is day one. Merry December first!

Another day of work in the Abbey was done and the servant’s were scattered in the servant’s hall, a warming fire casting the room in a warm glow.

Thomas and Jimmy were, as usual, surrounded by a cloud of smoke. They’d not yet started their usual nightly card game, but were sat in comfortable silence with Thomas reading the paper and Jimmy playing with his deck of cards. Alfred sat by the fire, reading a letter, and Anna and Bates sat together talking. Mrs Hughes went over some papers at the end of the table and Baxter and Molesley were engrossed in a conversation over a book.

“I can’t believe it’s almost December first,” Anna said, “it’ll be Christmas before we know it.”

Thomas mumbled something under his breath.

“What was that, Mr Barrow?” Anna asked, raising an eyebrow.

Thomas looked up from his newspaper. “Never mind,” he said.

“Not a big fan of Christmas, Mr Barrow?” Bates asked.

Thomas suppressed a sigh at having to talk to Bates. “No, I’m not, Mr Bates. Not that it’s any of your concern.” He puts the paper up again, ending the conversation.

“I take it that it wasn’t a happy holiday in your household then?” Bates pressed.

Thomas put his paper down on the table. He saw that Jimmy looked at Bates, a sour scowl on his beautiful face. “Again, not that it’s any of your business, Mr Bates, but no. Not particularly.”

“Maybe you could make it happy now?” Baxter said, her voice soft. “With new traditions?”

“I don’t think so.” Thomas got up from his chair. “I’m going to bed.”

If he would have looked back, he would have seen Jimmy looking after him as he left.

-

_A few days later_

Thomas was lost in thought, looking over the list of all the things he needed to get done during the day, and didn’t notice Jimmy walking down the servant’s corridor toward him. Jimmy, in turn, didn't notice either, since his view was completely obstructed by the big box he was carrying.

They collided with a big thump, the contents of Jimmy’s box clinking and jangling precariously.

“Bloody hell, watch yourself!” Thomas exclaimed to the unknown perpetrator.

Jimmy’s head popped up behind the box and Thomas instantly calmed. Jimmy, as always, had him wrapped around his finger.

“Merry Christmas, Mr Barrow!” Jimmy said cheerfully.

Thomas looked him over curiously. “It’s the first of December,” he replied.

“I said ‘Merry Christmas’!” The first footman repeated as he adjusted his grip on the box and marched off toward his room.

Curious, but with no time to spare, Thomas continued his way down to the butler’s pantry to go over the day with Mr Carson, but he didn’t stop thinking about Jimmy and the mysterious box all day.

-

Thomas was in a bad mood. Jimmy had been suspiciously occupied all day, running off every time he got the chance, and Thomas had been sorrowfully alone on his many smoke breaks. He thought maybe Jimmy was avoiding him again, and he felt the familiar twist in his stomach when he thought of the reason why. He’d thought that was behind them by now, but maybe he was wrong. Again.

He walked into the kitchen, hoping to find Jimmy and try and get him to come for a smoke so he could try and get a better sense of the footman’s mind, but found only Mrs Patmore and Daisy. He sighed.

“What’s got you so glum?” Mrs Patmore asked him, keeping an eye on something in the oven.

Thomas shook his head. “Nothing, Mrs Patmore.” He hesitated for a moment. “Have you seen Jimmy around?”

Mrs Patmore and Daisy gave each other a look that Thomas couldn’t decipher, and Mrs Patmore shook her head. “No, not of late, I’m afraid.”

Thomas had a feeling she was lying. He didn’t understand why. As he left the kitchen without another word, he heard the two women suppressing a laugh behind him.

-

With heavy steps Thomas made his way up the stairs to the servant’s corridor. He’d almost not seen Jimmy today, and was feeling increasingly uneasy about it. The thought of losing the footman’s friendship made his chest ache. The year they had spent not talking had been the longest year in Thomas’s life. He couldn’t imagine living the rest of his life like that.

He paused outside Jimmy’s door, raising his hand to knock, but let it fall again. He couldn’t. He hadn’t stepped foot inside Jimmy’s room since _that_ night. He sighed and continued to his own room, opening the door and stepping in.

He stopped dead in his tracks.

“What-?”

He stared and tried to take in the scene before him. The room was lit up by candlelight. There was a garland hanging over the window, with a big red bow on it. On the bedside table and dresser stood vases with evergreens and holly, decorated with small silver bells, a plate of pastries sitting next to the vase on the dresser. In the corner of the room stood a small tree with a box of decorations nestled beneath it. And in the middle of the room stood Jimmy, fiddling with his lighter - a nervous habit Thomas found adorable.

Thomas stared. “You- what? How?”

Jimmy smiled nervously. “I thought Miss Baxter was right. Maybe we should start a new tradition?”

Thomas kept staring.

Jimmy’s smile faltered. “Did- did I make a mistake?”

“No!” Thomas shook his head, taking a step forward. “No it’s- it’s _amazing_ Jimmy. Did you do all this, just for me?”

Jimmy looked nervous again. “Yes. It’s for you. I got some help though, Mrs Patmore and Daisy gave me the pastries and Mrs Hughes talked Mr Carson into letting me use some of the old Christmas decorations they never use downstairs. Miss Baxter helped me make the garland and Molesley helped me get the tree.”

“But,” Thomas looked at him, confused. “Why?”

Jimmy fiddled with his lighter again. “Christmas is supposed to be a happy time, Mr Barrow. Everyone wants you to have that. _I_ want you to have that.”

Thomas’s insides warmed, the treacherous feeling of hope rising in his chest again, like it did when Jimmy did or said something that made Thomas think that maybe, just maybe.. “That- God, Jimmy, I-“

Jimmy took a step forward. “Close the door, will you?”

With no further thought, Thomas did as Jimmy asked. 

“I-“ Jimmy reached his hand out and grabbed Thomas’s. Thomas felt him trembling. “I need to tell you something.”

“What is it, Jimmy? You can tell me anything.”

A look of determination flashed over Jimmy’s face. He pulled on Thomas’s hand, making the under butler take a step forward, and stepped in close. Thomas could feel Jimmy's warm breath on him. His heart felt like it was going to beat out of his chest.

“What are you doing?” He whispered.

Jimmy raised his hand, letting it rest on the side of Thomas’s neck, using it to pull him down, pressing their lips together.

Thomas forgot how to breathe. He forgot how to think. Had his heart not been an automated thing it would have stopped, for he would not have been able remember how to keep it beating. His whole world was Jimmy and Jimmy’s lips pressed against his.

The kiss was chaste, just the gentle press of lips pressed against lips, and still Thomas would have traded it for all the other experiences in his life.

“Merry Christmas, Mr Barrow.” Jimmy’s voice sounded as breathless as Thomas felt.

“Merry Christmas, my darling boy,” Thomas said, pulling him in and holding him close. “Merry Christmas, indeed.”

As the night went on, changing from December first to December second, cheerful laughter could be heard from the room of the under-butler of the Abbey. Thomas and Jimmy ate pastries and laughed and kissed. They decorated the tree and kissed some more. And if Jimmy never made it to his own room that night, no one pretended to notice. A new Christmas tradition had been born, and it forever remained Thomas’s favourite one.

**Author's Note:**

> I just wanna say a special thanks to the Downton Abbey RP-group that has been giving me so much joy lately. I hope your Decembers are filled with fluffy goodness! <3


End file.
